The Dragon Games
by UnderTheWillowTrees
Summary: Hiccup is a hunter. Evading predators and surviving is his thing. Then his little sister, Valerie, is Reaped to enter the annual Dragon Games, and there's nothing Hiccup can do but take her place. He is forced into the arena to fight for his life alongside the golden haired beauty who used to braid his sister's hair and haunt his dreams.
1. Of Comforting and Hunting

**This is way more fun than Viking Games :)**

**I love it! And I've literally planned out the whole series, so I have to finish it!**

**Also, CessieRose25 and I have decided that big brother!Hiccup is the most adorable thing in the world.**

**But yeah, this is a complete AU, but I'm not gonna explain it because that's what the story's for! Also, every chapter has to be at least 2,000 words. If one is not, you can virtually slap me in the face. Deal? Deal (TFIOS - oh, gods, why?!)**

**ALL CHARACTERS ARE _DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS _AGE. They're so adorable XD**

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><p>Screams shook the Haddock residence on the morning of the seventy-fourth Reaping. They bounced around the cramped attic bedroom at the top of the house and woke up the seventeen year old boy that was sleeping up there.<p>

The boy flung himself out of bed instantly and sprinted to the other side of the room, where his twelve year old sister was sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her face, her hands clamped over her ears. He lifted her up off the floor and held her in his arms, allowing her to sob into his shoulder.

"It's okay. I got you, bud. You were dreaming. Just dreaming."

"It was me, Hiccup," the girl whimpered, wrapping her arms around her brother's neck. "They picked me."

"I know," Hiccup muttered into her messy auburn locks. "I know, Val, but it's not. They didn't. It's your first year, your name's only been in there once. They're not gonna pick you."

"You p-promise?" asked Valerie, looking up at Hiccup.

"I promise," smiled Hiccup. "Think you can go back to sleep, bud?"

Valerie shook her head and buried her face in the crook of Hiccup's neck again. "Will you stay with me?"

"I can't," said Hiccup, rocking her slightly. "I gotta go. I'll be back soon, though. Don't worry."

"Where d'you have to go?" demanded Valerie as Hiccup placed her back down in her bed and tucked the covers up to her chin.

"Top secret," winked Hiccup, tapping his nose, making his sister giggle. "I love you." He bent down and pressed a kiss to Valerie's forehead before standing up, pulling on his boots, running a hand through his messy hair (which was the exact same shade as his sister's) and hurrying downstairs.

His father was still snoring in his bed downstairs, so Hiccup tip-toed out the front door before taking off at high speed, eager to get to the woods.

The sun had barely risen and the sky was still pink-ish - the perfect time for hunting, in Hiccup's opinion.

He made it towards the line of trees and stopped when he reached the enormous wooden fence in his path. He walked down the length of the fence, tapping on each panel of wood until he reached the weak one. He grinned, straightened his back out and yanked the panel away. He slipped through the opening before reaching through and pulling the panel back up into place, to avoid detection, because if any of the Peacedragons found out that the heir to Island Twelve hunted in the woods, Stoick, Hiccup's father, would be kicked out of power immediately.

Hiccup hurried through the woods, breathing in the smell of the pine trees that Island Twelve was famous for (even though it didn't even specialise in lumber - that was Island Seven's job). As he walked, he ran his hand along the trunks of the trees, looking for one tree in particular...

Ah, there it was. He walked around the side of the hollowed out tree and reached in through the gap in the bark. He pulled out his bow and sheath of arrows with a small smile.

"Finally," said Hiccup, looking down at his weapon.

He slung the sheath over his shoulder, pulled out one of his many hand-crafted arrows and loaded it into his bow. Then he quietly resumed his walk through the woods, keeping his green eyes wide for any sign of fresh game.

Hiccup had been walking for about fifteen minutes when something caught his eye. There was a yak, a female by the looks of it, and it was just standing there. It hadn't noticed him, or, if it had, it didn't see him as a threat. He wouldn't have been surprised - he wasn't exactly the most intimidating Viking on the island.

He silently slipped behind a tree and aimed the arrow straight at the yak's heart. Biting his lip and closing one eye, he prepared to let the arrow fly. Ready? Check. Aim? Startlingly precise. Fire-

"What are you gonna do with _that_, Haddock?!"

The yak looked up, terrified, before sprinting off faster than Hiccup had ever seen a yak run.

Hiccup shot the arrow anyway, missing the animal by an inch. The arrow sunk into a nearby tree, probably damaging the shaft of it beyond repair. He scowled at it for a moment before turning around and glaring at his so-called 'best friend'.

"Thank you, Heather," he said dryly. "That was really helpful."

"That's alright," smiled Heather, walking towards him and flicking some of her black hair out of her eyes. "What _were _you gonna do with that?"

"The family that lives next to you is starving-" began Hiccup.

"Like the whole town, including the chief and his kids..." added Heather.

"-and their little girl is sick," finished Hiccup. "I don't know how much longer she's gonna last if they don't get some food in her."

"Always the hero, aren't you?" Heather smiled fondly.

"No, I'm just a nice person," said Hiccup. "And me and Val are not starving."

"Look at you!" laughed Heather, poking his stomach. "You're so tiny!"

"Not my fault, Heath," chuckled Hiccup, swatting at her hand. "What d'you wanna do today, then?"

"I want to go and watch the boats docking," said Heather. "I want to see what kind of stupid getup Ava's wearing this year without being terrified for my life."

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><p>Hiccup laid back in the grass and closed his eyes, taking advantage of the warmth that was usually non-existent on Island Twelve. Little different coloured dragons - Terrible Terrors - flew around them or laid in the grass.<p>

Terrible Terrors were the only dragons left on any of the islands. All of the others had been taken to Dragon Island by the Dragons (as in, the human dragons) to be kept as pets, to use in the Dragon Games, and because, well, dragon skin clothes were all the rage on Dragon Island.

"Lovely day for a Reaping, don't you think?" asked Heather, tucking her knees up to her chest.

"Magnificent," replied Hiccup, not even looking up at her.

Heather laughed. She stared at the enormous wooden boat on the horizon for a few minutes before looking down at her best friend.

"Why do we keep doing this every year?" she asked.

"What d'you mean?" asked Hiccup, opening one eye to look at her.

"Send kids to the arena," said Heather. "Why do we keep sending kids to the arena?"

"Because they'll kill us if we don't," answered Hiccup. "They'd freeze the entire island, like Thirteen. Or we'd start a war, which would ultimately result in thousands of people's deaths. I know the Reapings are stupid, but there's nothing we can do about it. That's why I don't want kids."

"You have to have kids, though," Heather pointed out. "You're required by law to have an heir."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to have any, I just said that I didn't want them," said Hiccup. "Their names'd go straight into the Reaping bowl like everybody else's."

"We could run away," said Heather. "We could do it, you and me."

"As tempting as that sounds," sighed Hiccup. "I have Val. I can't leave her. And you, missy, have Svenan and Jokul!"

"They could come, too," smiled Heather.

"Val in the woods?" chuckled Hiccup, raising his eyebrows at Heather.

"Well, maybe not," laughed Heather.

They were silent for a while, both unsure of what to say. They were always like that on Reaping days - both terrified that the other was going to be carted off to Dragon Island later in the day, and, as a result, not really talking to each other that much.

"How many times is your name in today?" asked Hiccup, sitting up.

"Twenty-four," answered Heather.

She should have only had six, really. When you became eligible for the Reapings at age twelve, you had your name put in the Reaping bowl once. At thirteen, your name went in twice. Fourteen, three times and so on. But if you were starving and desperate like Heather's family was, you could opt to put your name in more times in exchange for food or other supplies.

Hiccup had done this on more than one occasion. After a particularly bad winter when he couldn't get to the woods to hunt, when the village had literally been on the brink of death (he had given out his supplies to everyone in the Mead Hall), and a few more times just to make absolutely sure that Valerie wouldn't have to put her name in more times.

His name was in the bowl forty-two times, but he supposed that it was best not to mention that to Heather.

"You?" she eventually asked.

"Same as you," lied Hiccup.

"You're not a great liar," said Heather.

Hiccup sighed. "Forty-two. The odds aren't exactly in my favour, are they?"

"I really hate that phrase," snapped Heather, crossing her arms. "The odds are never in anyone but the Dragons' favour."

"I know," said Hiccup. "You said that last year as well."

"Well, it's true," huffed Heather. "Anyway, we actually need to hunt. And then I have to pick up some stuff from the old Mead Hall. C'mon."

Hiccup stood up and picked up his bow and arrows before following Heather back off the grassy cliff top they had been sat on. He hurried after her back into the woods, thinking about the forty-two slips of parchment with '_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III_' written on them in his scratchy handwriting.

And also the single slip of paper that had '_Valerie Valka Haddock_' on it.

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><p>Hiccup pushed open the cracking wooden door to the old Mead Hall and held it open for Heather, who walked in and adjusted her game bag over her shoulder. Hiccup followed her in a few seconds later, shutting the door with extreme care in case it finally split in two.<p>

The old Mead Hall had once, obviously, been the Mead Hall, but part of it had burned down long before Hiccup was born. A new one had been built, and the old one now served as a sort of market that was completely illegal. If any of the Peacedragons found out about it, every stall owner and every single person that had bought anything from the hall would have been beaten or executed.

"What d'you need?" asked Hiccup.

"New furs for Svenan's bed," answered Heather. "The ones he has now are ripped. He's a very vicious five year old when he's sleeping."

Hiccup chuckled. "See you later. I'll meet you here."

"See you."

Hiccup weaved his way in between the wooden stalls that sold vegetables, not-so-fresh game, scrap metal and other things to get over to Dagny's stall, which sold buttons and things like that - the buttons on Val's fur cloak had come off and gotten lost.

"Hello, sweetie," smiled Dagny as Hiccup approached. "Lookin' for buttons, eh?"

"Yeah," answered Hiccup. "Remember the ones that were on Val's cloak?"

"Of course, I do," grinned Dagny.

"Great," said Hiccup, opening up his game bag and pulling out the little bag of berries that he and Heather had gathered.

"Lemme get 'em, alright? Five seconds," said Dagny, taking the bag from him.

"Hey, Hiccup," came a male voice from behind Hiccup.

Hiccup glanced behind him. "Oh, hey, Fishlegs. What're you doing here?"

Fishlegs had been his friend since they were both about eleven. Fishlegs had been lost in the woods, looking for some plant or something that his mother needed to make a remedy for his father's cold. Hiccup had been hunting, and he would have sent an arrow straight through Fishlegs' heart if he hadn't realised that it was a boy and not a yak at the last possible second.

"Need buttons," answered Fishlegs, fiddling with the gold pin on his shirt.

"Nice pin," said Hiccup. "Is that a dragon?"

"Yeah," answered Fishlegs, pulling the pin off. "A Night Fury, I think. It kinda freaks me out."

"Looks good," said Hiccup.

"Want it?" asked Fishlegs, holding the pin out.

"Oh, I can't-"

"Here, take it," smiled Fishlegs, pressing the little gold ring into Hiccup's hand. "Give it to Valerie for me, okay?"

"Thanks, 'Legs," smiled Hiccup, tucking the pin into his pocket.

"Here ya go, sweetheart," smiled Dagny, handing Hiccup a little package tied up with a worn out piece of string.

"Thanks," said Hiccup. "I'll see you soon. Later, Fishlegs."

He pushed through the crowd again, making his way back to the doors. He leaned against the wall and pulled the pin out of his pocket to examine it properly.

It was a beautifully crafted little ring of gold with a Night Fury in the centre. It had a sharp little arrow clutched in its claws and its teeth were bared. It looked ferocious, but he was sure that Valerie would think it was adorable.

He smiled as he turned it over in his fingers.


	2. Of Night Fury Pins and Reapings

**Only two chapters in and already LOVIN' this fic! What do you guys think?**

**Also, Valerie is just my favourite. I love her to bits! :)**

**And! Who else thinks that 'Thinking Out Loud' by Ed Sheeran could totally be Hiccstrid's song? I do!**

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><p>"You ready?" asked Heather, walking towards him, clutching some new (well, almost new) furs.<p>

"Yeah," said Hiccup, taking one last look at the pin before tucking it back into his pocket. "Let's go. I need to tell Val something."

"Better hurry, then," said Heather, looking up at the sun. "Reaping starts soon. You gotta make yourself look pretty."

"Am I not pretty already?" chuckled Hiccup, making Heather laugh. "Here." He took the furs from her. "I'll walk you home, alright?"

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><p>Hiccup opened up the front door to see Valerie sat at the table, twisting her auburn hair into a simple, but pretty, braid that reached all the way down to the small of her back. She was wearing a light blue tunic that was tucked into a brown skirt, dark blue leggings and her favourite - and only - pair of boots.<p>

"Look at you!" he grinned, walking towards her and ruffling her hair, making her glare at him and attempt to fix her hair again. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she smiled as she tucked any messed up parts of her hair out of sight and stood up.

"You'd better tuck in that tail, though, Terrible Terror," said Hiccup, bending down to her height and tucking the bit of tunic that had come out at the back of her skirt back in.

"Roar," Valerie grinned.

"Roar yourself," smirked Hiccup.

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked up at the stairs to see his six foot nine, red haired and red bearded father. He was already wearing his best tunic and his fur cape for the Reaping.

"Hey, Dad," Hiccup said, standing up straight again and taking hold of Valerie's hand.

"Yeh need t' ge' changed, son," Stoick said, making the rest of his way down the stairs. "Th' Reaping starts soon."

"Okay," said Hiccup.

He let go of his sister's tiny (well, to him) hand and brushed past his father. He ran up the stairs with both his hands and feet, as he always did, and walked into his and Valerie's bedroom.

A green tunic was already hanging over the back of the rickety wooden chair in the corner of the room, along with dark green trousers, arm-wraps and his only pair of boots.

Once Hiccup was changed, he ran his fingers through his hair in an unsuccessful attempt at making it lay flat before hurrying down the stairs again. Valerie looked up and smiled when she saw him.

"You look great!" she smiled.

"Thanks, bud," said Hiccup.

"Your hair's messy, though," Valerie smirked.

"Oh, yeah?" asked Hiccup, sitting down on the wooden sofa next to her. "Well, when isn't it?"

Valerie laughed and got up onto her knees. She fussed with his hair for a while before tying a tiny little braid just below his ear. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

"Please don't get picked," she whispered.

Hiccup wanted to assure her that he wouldn't as surely as he had told her that she wouldn't - but he couldn't. Because, as he had told Heather, the odds weren't in his favour.

"I'll try not to," he said finally.

Stoick walked into the room and sat down, running a brush through his beard and reading over the speech he had to give about the Dragon Games and the rebellion that had happened seventy-four years ago. The same speech he'd had to give every year that he had been chief.

A horn sounded in the distance. Ten minutes until the Reaping started.

Valerie squeaked and buried her face further into Hiccup's shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay," Hiccup said, pulling away from her. "You'll be fine." He remembered the pin that Fishlegs had given him, which he had taken out of the pocket of his other tunic and put into the pocket of the tunic he was wearing now. "You wanna see what I got you?"

Valerie sniffed and nodded.

Hiccup pulled the pin out and handed it to her. She looked down at it and smiled.

"It's a Night Fury pin," he said. "To protect you. And as long as you have it, nothing bad can happen to you, okay?"

"What's his name?" asked Valerie, tracing her finger along the little gold dragon.

"I don't know," replied Hiccup. "What do you want his name to be?"

"Hmm..." said Valerie, looking intently at the pin. "Toothless."

"Alright, then," said Hiccup before looking at his father, pointing at Valerie and making a little swirling motion with his finger by his head.

Valerie smacked him and laughed.

The horn blew again. Five minutes.

"We'd better ge' goin'," said Stoick, standing up and tucking the speech back into his pocket.

"C'mon, bud," said Hiccup, taking the pin back from Valerie and pinning it to her tunic. "Let's go."

Valerie took hold of her brother's hand as they followed their father out of the front door. Hiccup squeezed her hand in what he hoped was a comforting manner before looking around for Heather in the sea of twelve to eighteen year olds.

"I'm gonna be sick," Valerie hissed to Hiccup as they got closer to the Mead Hall, where the Reaping would be taking place.

"You'll be fine," promised Hiccup. "You need to go and stand with the twelve year old girls, okay? I'll find you after."

"Okay," mumbled Valerie, hugging him again. "Good luck."

"You, too, Terrible Terror," smiled Hiccup, kissing her on top of the head and watching her as she shakily walked towards the section where she was supposed to stand.

Hiccup walked towards the seventeen year old boys and positioned himself next to a boy named Tuffnut so that he could see Valerie. She was stood quite close to the Mead Hall steps, where the twelve year olds had to stand - the youngest stood at the front, the oldest at the back.

He looked back up at the Mead Hall steps, which had been decorated for the occasion. Painted banners of dragons and the Victor's crown and the number twelve were fluttering in the breeze, and there was a large painting of the first ever Victor, stood in a triumphant pose with a crown on her matted brown curls and clutching a blood-stained sword.

His father was sat up there, chewing his lips. A blond man with one arm and one leg was sat up there, too. He was called Gobber, and he would be mentoring the tributes from Twelve. There was also a woman with with golden hair tied back into about three braids, wearing a long dress made of blue and yellow dragon scales. She had long claws on her hands and spikes down her back. Typical Dragon Island fashion. She was called Ava, and she would be choosing the names from the Reaping bowls.

People were still crowding into their sections, and Hiccup could tell that Ava was getting impatient, as she was tapping her foot on the floor.

Once everyone was in place, the woman put on a smile, stood up and walked out towards the edge of the steps.

"Welcome!" exclaimed Ava. "Happy Dragon Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour! Now, before we begin, your chief has a very special speech, which was written by Drago Bludvist's father exactly seventy-four years ago!"

Stoick stood up and pulled out the yellowing piece of parchment he had been looking at earlier - Hiccup knew it was just a formality, though - the man could say the entire thing in his sleep.

"War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child-"

Hiccup stopped listening. He'd heard it hundreds of times before. He craned his neck to try and see Heather. There she was, looking for him. She smiled and nodded at him, before pointing at his father and rolling her eyes. Hiccup chuckled.

"Now!" came Ava's shrill voice. Hiccup looked back up at the stage, his heart beating uncomfortably fast. "The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing Island Twelve in the seventy-fourth annual Dragon Games!" All of this came at great speed.

The girls were always picked first, Hiccup remembered. He looked down at his feet and squeezed his eyes shut, praying to every god he knew of that Ava wouldn't call out Heather's name.

"As usual, ladies first!"

He could hear Ava's shoes clicking against the stone as she made her way over to the girls' Reaping bowl. He could hear parchment shuffling about. He could hear Ava's shoes clicking again. He could hear Ava getting ready to call out the name of the girl-

"Valerie Valka Haddock!"

Time stopped.

No, Hiccup must have heard wrong. She hadn't just called out his sister's name, had she? She couldn't have! Valerie was one in hundreds!

But Ava had called out Valerie's name, that was the thing.

"Where are you, dear?" called Ava. "Come on up! Don't be shy!"

Hiccup whipped his head around to see his little buddy making her way towards the stage. She was as white as a sheet and shaking like a leaf. She looked like she was going to collapse at any second.

He felt like he had been punched in the gut. Every whisp of air in his lungs had been knocked out of him. His legs felt like lead, his vision was blurring and it seemed like everything was spinning.

Valerie tucked the back of her tunic back into her skirt again, and, suddenly, everything snapped back into reality and Hiccup was yelling.

"Val!" His voice sounded oddly strangled. "Val!"

He pushed his way through the crowd of boys and staggered out into the path that led up to the steps.

He couldn't breathe. All he knew was that he had to get to his little sister. His Terrible Terror. Valerie. She was the most important person in his life, and, as her big brother, he had promised that he would always look after her, and he didn't think letting her go into the arena was really keeping that promise.

"Val!" Hiccup yelled as Valerie spun around.

Two heavily armoured Peacedragons grabbed his arms and began to drag him away, but Hiccup was kicking and snarling like a dragon, and there was no way they were going to get him back to his original position without some blood being spilled.

"No! No!" shouted Hiccup.

Something flashed across his mind. Something that was in the speech that his father said so much. Something about bravery and sacrificing yourself for loved ones. Something about volunteering...

"Hiccup!" bellowed Stoick, obviously guessing what was going to happen next, but Hiccup either couldn't hear him or was ignoring him.

"I volunteer!" Hiccup bellowed, wrenching himself out of the Peacedragons' grips and staggering forward. "I volunteer!" He looked up at Ava, who looked like she had been slapped in the face. "I volunteer as tribute."

"I believe we have a volunteer!" said Ava as Hiccup stumbled over to Valerie.

"You need to get out of here," he muttered, pulling her into his arms. "You need to go."

"No!" said Valerie, who was on the verge of tears as she clung to her brother.

"Go find Heather," begged Hiccup. "I know, Val, I'm so sorry. Leave, go find Heather!"

"No! No!" screamed Valerie when Fishlegs ran from somewhere in the crowd of seventeen year old boys, picked her up and began to carry her off.

"I'm sorry!" Hiccup yelled after them, silently thanking Fishlegs and wondering where the Hel Heather was.

The Peacedragons began to march Hiccup towards the steps, their hands on his back to make sure that he wouldn't try to run, as many other tributes had done in the past. Hiccup was shoved up the steps and Ava grabbed his arm instantly. She dragged him to a spot where everyone could see him and smiled.

"What's your name, darling?" she asked.

"Hiccup Haddock," answered Hiccup, staring down at the ground.

"Was that your sister, by any chance?" smiled Ava.

"Yes," replied Hiccup.

"Okay, then!" exclaimed Ava. "Let's have a big hand for Island Twelve's very first volunteer: Hiccup Haddock!" She began to clap, but nobody else did.

Instead, every single person stood before them kissed the three middle fingers on their left hands and raised them into the air. It was a salute of sorts, and it was usually used when someone was made chief or a chief had passed away. It was a mark of respect.

There was a lump in Hiccup's throat as he stared out at the crowd. It was probably the last time he would see them all together...

"Well, seeing as young Hiccup volunteered for his sister, we're going to have to pick from the girls' bowl again!" called Ava. "Sorry, boys! Looks like you're going to have to wait until next year!" The boys visibly relaxed.

Ava tottered over to the girls' bowl and snatched up a name quickly. She hurried back over to Hiccup, who was still staring at the crowd, who had all lowered their hands by this point.

"Astrid Hofferson," said Ava perkily.

No, not her. Why her?


	3. Of Braiding and Farewells

**Hey, guys!**_  
><em>

**So, you may know that CessieRose25 has a fic called Ablaze, and she totally blew me out of the water in our feels-war with the last chapter. So I tried to make this chapter very feels-y. Sorry about that ;)**

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><p><em>"H-Hey, Astrid. Astrid, hi! Hey... Astrid," said an awkward, fourteen year old Hiccup, rubbing the back of his neck.<em>

_Astrid Hofferson was stood just outside the front door, a basket full of clothes in her arms. Her golden hair was tied back into its usual braid and her bright blue eyes were sparkling. She was, in Hiccup's mind, the definition of the word 'beauty'._

_"Any clothes need fixing?" asked Astrid, getting straight to the point, like she always did._

_"Uh, no," answered Hiccup. "Not-"_

_"Astrid!" shrieked Valerie, running to the front door. "Can you braid my hair?! Please, please, please?!"_

_Astrid looked down at the nine year old. "Well, I'm supposed to get these clothes for my mother... but I guess it'll only take a minute, right?"_

_Valerie smiled and took the older girl's hand. She led her through the door and sat down on the floor, Astrid sitting on the sofa behind her. The blonde smiled as she took Valerie's long, auburn locks in her hands, and began to twist them into an intricate pattern. Her fingers dipped beneath the soft waves, only to appear again moments later, holding a new lock of hair._

_Hiccup stood stock-still for a moment, his mouth hanging open slightly as he watched, before he blinked a few times and shut his mouth._

_The boy had fallen hard for Astrid Hofferson._

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><p>Hiccup had, of course, long since gotten over his crush. He had realised that it was never going to happen, that Astrid was far out of his league and had simply let it go (after moping for a few days, much to the irritation of his father and little sister).<p>

He quickly located Astrid in the crowd of seventeen year old girls. She looked shocked - well, why wouldn't she be? She was from one of the wealthier families on Island Twelve, and she had two older sisters, which meant that her name could only have been in the bowl the obligatory six times.

Astrid shook her head, tucked some of her hair behind her ear and began to make her way up to the steps, her head held high even though her hands were shaking.

The Peacedragons pushed her up the Mead Hall steps, where Ava gripped her arm and pulled her over to Hiccup.

"How old are you, darling?" asked Ava.

"Seventeen," replied Astrid.

"Hiccup, dear?" asked Ava.

"Seventeen," said Hiccup, looking down at the stone floor again.

"Wonderful!" smiled Ava. "Well, go on, you two, shake hands!"

Astrid turned to Hiccup, sticking her hand out for him, which he took. She gave his hand what he thought was a comforting squeeze, and memories of watching her as she walked through town, a basket in her arms and her hips swinging came flooding back to him.

'_Forget it, Haddock,_' thought Hiccup, dropping her hand like it was burning his skin. '_It's you or her in the arena, and you need to get back to Valerie._'_  
><em>

Ava smiled happily and put her hands on her two new tributes' backs. She quickly guided them through the doors that led into the Mead Hall.

Hiccup knew that there were stairs at the back of the Mead Hall, which led up to another floor with two small rooms. He knew this because when Valerie was eleven, her friend, who was twelve at the time, was Reaped. He could remember clutching Valerie's shaking hand as he pulled her up those steps to see him. Gustav died in the initial bloodbath.

Sure enough, Ava led them up the same stairs that Hiccup had walked up exactly a year ago and showed them both to one of the rooms. Then she shut the doors with a promise that their friends and families would be up in a few minutes.

Hiccup looked around the room that Ava had pushed him into - it was small and cramped, with a single wooden sofa pushed up against the back wall. There was also a small table in the centre of the room, with a jug of mead and a few mugs on it.

"You have three minutes," said a Peacedragon, opening the door and ushering Stoick and Valerie in.

Hiccup spun around and opened his arms. Valerie flung herself into them. She was crying and her whole body was shaking against his chest.

"This is my fault," she sobbed. "All my fault."

"Hey," said Hiccup. "Of course it's not."

"It is!" said Valerie. "She called out my name first! Why did you have-"

"Val, stop," said Hiccup, sitting down and turning her head so that he could look directly into her eyes, which matched his own. "It's not your fault. And I need you to listen now, okay? We don't have much time." Valerie looked away again, hardly able to handle looking at her brother. Hiccup gripped her face between his thumb and his other fingers and turned her head back to him. She was basically a miniature, girl version of him, when he really looked at her. "Listen, Val!"

Valerie nodded and sniffed, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

"Don't take any extra food from them, it isn't worth putting your name in more times," snapped Hiccup. "Don't go into the woods - Heather'll bring you game, and don't go into the old Mead Hall unless Dad is with you, okay?"

"Just try to win," sniffed Valerie. "Maybe you can."

Hiccup considered this for a moment. "Well, maybe I can. I am pretty smart."

"And you can hunt," said Valerie.

"Exactly," smiled Hiccup.

Valerie pulled something out of her pocket and pressed it into Hiccup's palm. Hiccup looked down to see the Night Fury pin he had given her earlier. He smiled despite himself.

"To protect you," whispered Valerie, leaning her forehead against his.

"Thank you," mumbled Hiccup. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

They stayed like that for a moment before Hiccup looked up. His father was stood just in his line of sight, looking like he was struggling not to cry.

Hiccup pulled away from Valerie, gently moved her off his lap and stood up. He walked over to his father and looked up at him.

Stoick was eight inches taller than his son, but seeing his boy standing there made him feel about two feet tall.

"You can't tune out again," spat Hiccup.

"I won'-"

"No, you can't," snapped Hiccup. "You can't just throw yourself into your work. Not like when Mom died. This time, I won't be there, you're all she has. So no matter what you see on the Screener, no matter what you feel, you have to be there for her. Do you understand me?"

Stoick nodded, feeling tears welling up in his eyes.

Hiccup didn't want the last time he ever saw his father to be the first time he ever saw him cry. He was so strong, and, if Hiccup was lucky, he could mimic that stoicism in the arena. But not if he saw him cry.

"Don't cry," said Hiccup, pulling Stoick into a hug. "Please, don't."

"Like yer sister said," said Stoick, keeping a tight hold on his son. "Try t' win, alrigh'?"

"Yeah," mumbled Hiccup. "I love you."

"I love yeh, too."

The door burst open and a Peacedragon burst into the room. He was glaring at them.

"Let's go," he snapped, gesturing for Stoick and Valerie to leave the room.

"No!" said Valerie suddenly, gripping Hiccup's arm.

"Val," said Hiccup weakly, trying to pry the twelve year old off his arm. "Go, please." She was making the whole thing harder for him, and he knew that if she held on for a second longer, he would not be able to gather up the strength to get on the boats that would take him to Dragon Island.

Stoick gripped Valerie's hand and pulled her out of the room, Valerie shouting words that Hiccup didn't think she knew at her father and at the Peacedragon.

"I promise, Val!" Hiccup yelled after her.

He sat back down on the sofa when the door banged shut again and buried his face in his hands.

What was he going to do? It wasn't like he actually had a shot in the games. There was only a small chance that they would have a bow, and that was the only weapon he was halfway decent with! There were kids younger than him that could already throw around an axe like it was nothing, and that was on Island Twelve. He didn't have a chance. But he had just promised his baby sister and his father that he would try. So try he would.

"You okay?" asked Heather, pushing open the door and running at him.

Hiccup leapt to his feet and flung his arms around her, completely forgetting that he was a bit mad at her for not helping when he volunteered.

"I'm fine," he mumbled into the crook of her neck.

"Good," muttered Heather. "We should have gone, like I-"

"No," said Hiccup firmly, pulling away from her. "Don't. If we had, who would have volunteered for Val?"

"I dunno," smiled Heather, trying to lighten the mood. "The whole island loves your sister, even if they just tolerate you."

Hiccup chuckled and hugged her again. "I told Val that you'd bring her game. You will, won't you?"

"Are you the best archer in the Archipelago?" asked Heather.

"Probably not," answered Hiccup, moving away from her.

"Well, you are. Of course I'll bring Val game!" said Heather. "But I won't need to, because you're gonna win this thing."

"What if they don't have a b-?" began Hiccup, but Heather cut him off.

"You make one," she said. "You know how to hunt, Hiccup."

"Yeah, animals," said Hiccup.

"How different can it be, really?" asked Heather. "Hiccup, just remember that I l-"

"Time's up!" snapped the same Peacedragon that had come for Stoick and Valerie, throwing open the door.

"Take care of them, Heather!" cried Hiccup suddenly, hugging her for the third time. "Whatever you do, don't let them starve!"

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Heather yelled as she was dragged out of the room.

The door slammed shut again, and Hiccup was left alone, feeling slightly better knowing that Valerie and his father would be well fed after he inevitably died in the arena. Of course, just because he was going to die, didn't mean he was going to go down without a fight, even if it was only so that Valerie wouldn't have to see him cowering at a Nightmare's (the tributes from Islands One, Two and Three. The tributes that had trained their whole lives before volunteering at the Reaping. The tributes that were named after the most aggressive dragon there was - the Monstrous Nightmare) feet.

Hiccup sat down again, waiting for Ava to come back and whisk him off down to the docks.

But she didn't. Instead, Fishlegs walked through the door.

"Hey," the larger boy said, sitting down next to Hiccup.

"Hey," mumbled Hiccup.

"Shit," said Fishlegs. "I don't know whether to call you brave, or stupid."

"Call me a brother," said Hiccup. "I'm sure you would've done the same, if you had a little sister."

"I don't think so," mumbled Fishlegs. "Gustav had an older brother. Astrid has an older sister still eligible to volunteer. But Gustav's dead, and Astrid is as good as. So, once again, are you stupid, or brave?"

"Brave," replied Hiccup. "If I was stupid, I wouldn't have volunteered for my baby sister."

"Good answer," said Fishlegs. "Now win for that baby sister, would you?" He left without being told to by the grumpy Peacedragon, leaving Hiccup to consider his words.

The Peacedragon entered the room a few seconds later.

"There's no one else. Hofferson's already downstairs. Let's go," he said, before walking out again, Hiccup right behind him.

He led Hiccup back down the stairs, where Astrid was already standing, being guarded by another Peacedragon. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were red and she had obviously been attempting to wipe away the tears. Hiccup offered her a small, comforting smile, which, instead of calming her, made her look like she was going to burst into tears again.

"Come, come," smiled Ava, who was stood by the enormous doors that led into the Mead Hall.

Another two Peacedragons pulled them open, and Ava hurried out, Hiccup and Astrid trailing behind her.

Valerie was stood outside along with the rest of Island Twelve, and she was leaning against Heather, sobbing her little heart out. Stoick was also stood beside her, his face emotionless.

Hiccup stopped for a moment, opening his mouth to tell Valerie that it would be alright, but he was shoved forwards by the Peacedragon behind him.


	4. Of More Reapings and Mentors

**In response to a guest reviewer, Lakewin Plaza, I haven't seen Pearl Harbour, but I'll check it out as soon as possible! If I get time (between my other fics and school), I'll have a go at writing a Hiccstrid AU, okay?**

**Anyway, guys, hope you like the chapter!**

_**(By the way, for those of you who read DBS, I'm currently in the process of editing it a bit, so sorry for the long wait!)**_

* * *

><p>Hiccup tucked his knees up to his chest as he sat in one of the comfortable chairs on Island Twelve's boat. The one that would take him to Dragon Island, and, later, the arena.<p>

He couldn't get Valerie out of his mind. The only person in the world he would've volunteered for. Well, except Heather, maybe.

Every single detail about her was bouncing around his head. How she always double-knotted the strings on her favourite green tunic. How she couldn't shoot an arrow to save her life, but was fantastic at making simple healing remedies. How she would always ask him to brush her hair for her at night, rather than doing it herself. And how she loved it when he sang their parents' wedding song, _For the Dancing and the Dreaming_, when she was sad, or scared, or angry.

Hiccup had refused to sing the song for a while, though.

His mother, Valka, had been killed in the dragon raid (the only one he had ever experienced) when he was ten, and Valerie was five. The dragon raid had happened because of the threat of an uprising, which his mother had been at the front of. The rebels had called her something, but Hiccup couldn't remember what. Something to do with the night...

After his mother had been killed, his father had started to act... differently. Before, Hiccup and Valerie had been his whole world, but after the incident, he began to ignore them, and throw himself into his work. He was rarely at the house, and he wasn't eating. And because he wasn't eating, neither were Hiccup and Valerie.

So Hiccup had refused to sing the song. He had convinced himself that he hated his father, and wanted nothing to do with him.

Those awful years had been what pushed Hiccup to start hunting. His mother had already shown him the basics, but he'd had to work it out for himself from there.

And that was where Astrid Hofferson came in to it.

Before Hiccup had gathered up the courage to go into the woods without his mother, he had been desperate. His father simply wasn't going out to get food, and he and his sister were slowly starving to death.

The first time he saw Astrid, it was pouring with rain, and Hiccup had his mother's old fur cloak wrapped around him as he staggered through the village, searching desperately for any scraps of food. But there was nothing.

Hiccup had sat down by the well in the Plaza, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to spill down his cheeks. But he couldn't stop them at the thought of Valerie's cracked lips, and hollow cheeks.

Someone had opened the door to their house, but Hiccup had been too weak to cover his face - if anyone knew it was him, his father would've been removed from power for neglecting his children, and things would've just gotten worse.

A girl had stood there, clutching a loaf of bread.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup hadn't recognised her until she yelled.

A few seconds later, the bread she had been holding was at his feet, and she was gone.

He had snatched it up as quickly as possible, sprinted home with it, cut it into three chunks, and given Valerie the biggest bit. The next day, he had mustered up the courage to go into the woods. He didn't kill anything, but the thought that he now had a source of food had been enough to keep him going back to the woods everyday.

His father had slowly come back to them, and everything had started to get better again. All thanks to Astrid Hofferson.

And now, Hiccup was going to be pitted against her in a game with only one survivor.

"Are you alright?" Astrid asked, sitting down in the chair next to him.

"Gods, no," replied Hiccup.

"You're braver than I thought," mumbled Astrid.

"Valerie's my whole world, I couldn't just... let her go into the games," said Hiccup. "I'm really sorry about the-"

"It's fine," interrupted Astrid. "I wouldn't have wanted my sister to volunteer for me anyway. I have a better chance of winning than she does."

"Valerie probably had a better chance than me," Hiccup said dryly, rolling his eyes.

"You can hunt," said Astrid.

"How do you-?"

"No idea."

There was no more talking after that. The two fell into an awkward silence, which was broken when Gobber, their mentor, came into the room.

"Ah, so yeh two are my tributes, eh?" he said, sitting down in front of them.

"Yeah," said Astrid stiffly. "That's us."

"The lucky ones," said Hiccup sarcastically.

"Right, Astrid, loosen up, Hiccup, no sarcasm," chuckled Gobber.

Astrid did not 'loosen up'. Instead, she crossed her arms, leaned back in her seat, and glared at the older man.

"What's the plan?" she demanded. "I don't intend on dying in the arena."

Hiccup looked at her for a moment before shifting his gaze to Gobber.

"Be nice t' people, for a star'," said Gobber. "Because if people like yeh, they'll want t' sponsor yeh. An' sponsors sen' all sorts. Water, food, weapons, you name i'. And those things could be th' difference between yeh livin', and yeh dyin'. Understan'?"

"Yeah," replied Hiccup. "Slight problem. I'm not good at making friends. And getting _Dragons _to like me? Yeah, not gonna happen, Gobber. They almost killed my sister, and they would've if I hadn't been there. So don't expect me to be friendly with them."

"Your call, Haddock," sighed Gobber. "See how well yeh survive withou' sponsors, then."

With that, Gobber stood up, and walked out of the room.

"Nice one," huffed Astrid, glaring at Hiccup.

Hiccup ignored her, and glanced out of the small, round window to his left. They were already well on their way to Dragon Island, and even if Hiccup craned his neck, he wouldn't be able to see Island Twelve.

"Want to watch the rest of the Reapings?" asked Astrid.

"Sure," sighed Hiccup.

Astrid stood up, and walked over to the silver dragon that was behind the chair that Gobber had sat on.

It was a Screener, which were a rather odd type of dragon.

They were the best dragons for hunting, because the older, male Screeners could capture things that were happening around them, and it would be projected onto their mate's wings. The younger Screeners, however, weren't able to show what was happening straight away, so they weren't very good at helping with hunting, but they could capture images and send them to their siblings, which would then project them a lot later. A few hours, perhaps.

The older Screeners were used to show the Islands and the Dragons what was happening in the Dragon Games.

Hiccup had no idea how they worked, but he wanted to know. And Valerie thought they were quite cute, but, then again, she thought all animals were cute.

Astrid flicked the young Screener's large, silver wing, and an image of an Island appeared on its wings.

"That's One, right?" asked Astrid as she sat down again.

"Judging by the banner that says 'Island One', I'm gonna go with yes," smirked Hiccup, making Astrid glare at him, and whack him on the arm.

The woman stood on the stage on Island One (who seemed to be dressed as a Hideous Zippleback, Hiccup noticed), was holding two teenagers' hands. The boy looked about the same age as Hiccup and Astrid, and the girl looked slightly older .

The boy had thick, curly red hair - the usual hair colour on the islands closer to Dragon Island. His eyes were close to black, and he was wearing finer clothes than Hiccup's own father wore, but the boy didn't seem to be the heir to the island.

There was no other word for the girl other than 'beautiful'. But she looked deadly. Her curly hair was almost the colour of blood, and her eyes were a shiny blue. She looked a lot like the boy. Perhaps they were related in some way?

"_Brenna Ahlberg and Cuyler Borg!_" called the Zippleback woman, smiling brightly as she thrust the two tributes' hands into the air.

"Okay, so I'm not the only archer in this thing, then," huffed Hiccup. "Hoped I would have an advantage, but _nooo_!"

"You know, just because his name says that he's an archer, doesn't mean he is," said Astrid. "He looks more like the axe-kind, I think."

"Still," sighed Hiccup. "Wait, you _do _know I'm an archer, right? I didn't just give away something important, did I?"

"I said before that you can hunt! Of course I know you're an archer," said Astrid.

"There are different kinds of hunter, you know," said Hiccup. "I could've had throwing knives, or a crossbow!"

"My dad buys your squirrels," replied Astrid. "Their bodies are never damaged enough for you to have knives, and only the Peacedragons have crossbows. Even you couldn't make one."

"Do you know everything about me?" Hiccup asked mockingly, making Astrid roll her eyes, and blush slightly.

The two sat and watched the Reapings for a while, commenting on the tributes, and making mental notes, but they fell quiet when the Island Twelve Reaping appeared on the Screener.

"_I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute,_" the Hiccup on the Screener bellowed, the desperation evident on his face.

Hiccup looked away, unable to look at Valerie's heartbroken face.

"Hiccup-" began Astrid, but Hiccup stood up and walked out of the room, his eyes prickling.

* * *

><p>Hiccup lay on his bed in his cabin on the ship, tugging at the loose thread on his green, silk blanket. He had managed not to cry, but there was still a lump in his throat.<p>

He rolled over, and closed his eyes, imagining that he was at home in his own bed, Valerie sleeping just across the room, and sucking her thumb, which she never admitted to still doing, but Hiccup knew she did every time she fell asleep.

"_ARRGGGHHH_!" bellowed Hiccup, sitting up, and slamming his hands into his forehead.

"Hiccup?" Astrid called through the door. "Why are you yelling?"

Hiccup ignored her, and stood up. He walked over to the bookcase on the other side of the room.

"Hiccup?! You okay?!" Astrid yelled again.

"I'm fine!" Hiccup shouted back as he looked at the different titles on the shelves. "Just... just go back to whatever you were doing!"

He ran his fingers along the spines of the books, before closing his eyes, and grabbing one at random. Which, unfortunately, was a big mistake.

The book was old, and dusty. The cover was dark green, and the title was written in black ink. And it appeared to be about Island Twelve.

Hiccup winced, unsure of whether to open the book or not.

On one hand, reading about the home that he would never see again would probably just be like pouring salt water in open wounds, but on the other hand, he missed the island he always told Heather he hated almost as much as he missed his sister.

Carefully, Hiccup slid the book back into its spot on the bookshelf, and grabbed a different one to read.

* * *

><p>He could feel Astrid's eyes on him as he pushed his food around his plate, but Hiccup didn't make any move to start a conversation, preferring to just listen to Ava talk to Gobber (who wasn't really listening) about some new, dragon-skin dress she was going to buy for the first night of the Dragon Games.<p>

"So what do you two think of the ship?" smiled Ava, looking over at Hiccup and Astrid.

"Bigger than necessary," said Astrid.

"Daunting," added Hiccup. "And it's really cold."

"Oh. Right," said Ava awkwardly.

"I'm not very hungry," said Hiccup, pushing away his plate, standing up, and walking out of the room.


End file.
